Abdoulaye Seck, country manager of the World Bank in Burma, said the lender “is pleased to support a people-centered approach to development in Burma by providing more funding to frontline health facilities to deliver better health services for people across the country.”
If you are a health or development professional and want to become thoroughly confused about this World Bank project, go to the website https://tinyurl.com/mjhy9g6 and start downloading all the documents. The writing is so opaque one wonders whether it is made that way so that it cannot be understood.
Wonder what the burn rate will be?
Jamie
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World Bank OKs $100M for Maternal, Child Health in Burma
San Yamin Aung
The Irrawaddy
Wednesday 15 October 2014
RANGOON — The World Bank on Tuesday approved a US$100 million line of credit for Burma, to go toward efforts to improve the health care services provided to mothers, infants and children in the impoverished country.
The proposed World Bank-financed project aims to increase access to essential health services, with a focus on bettering the lives of Burma’s mothers and children, the Ministry of Health stated in August.
It said the project would strengthen the ministry’s efforts to achieve universal health coverage in Burma, a country that spends less per capita on health care than any other nation in the world.
“Specifically, project funds will help cover a wide range of expenses critical to the function of health facilities, such as medical supplies, facility maintenance and repairs, patient transfers, and community engagement,” read a World Bank statement on Tuesday.
Kyaw Soe Lynn, communications officer of the World Bank in Rangoon, told The Irrawaddy that the funds represented the first time money from the global lender has gone toward health initiatives in Burma.
“It will be used under the project named Myanmar Essential Health Services Access Project, which aims to support in MOH’s universal health coverage goals,” he said, adding that the first phase of the project would be implemented over four years.
“It is expected to benefit about 4 million pregnant women and young children across all of Burma’s 330 townships,” the World Bank said in its press release.
The World Bank’s $100 million credit line is a long-term, no interest loan, with repayment deferred for the first 10 years and the value of the loan to be repaid over 40 years, according to Kyaw Soe Lynn.
Abdoulaye Seck, country manager of the World Bank in Burma, said the lender “is pleased to support a people-centered approach to development in Burma by providing more funding to frontline health facilities to deliver better health services for people across the country.”
The health initiative amounts to about 5 percent of the $2 billion that the World Bank has pledged in loans, aid and investment for Burma’s health and energy sectors. Headquartered in Washington, the World Bank returned to Burma last year after more than a quarter century in which it did not lend to the country.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/world-bank-oks-100m-maternal-child-health-burma.html
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Millions of Mothers and Children in Myanmar to Benefit from New World Bank Financing
October 14, 2014
Washington, D.C., October 14, 2014 – The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved a US$100 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA) to improve maternal, newborn and child health in Myanmar.
The Essential Health Services Access Project is expected to benefit about 4 million pregnant women and young children across all of Myanmar’s 330 townships. The Project aims to increase coverage of critical health services that provide quality care, with a focus on the health of mothers, infants and children.
“Providing quality health services to all people in Myanmar is one of our main priorities. With the support from the World Bank, I believe this project will help improve the quality of health services for mothers and their young children and ultimately, will help bring us closer to achieving the ambitious goal of universal health coverage,” said Dr. Thein Thein Htay, Deputy Minister, Myanmar Ministry of Health.
The project is designed to improve both the coverage and quality of maternal and child health services in Myanmar. Under the project, communities will receive grants for health services at the local level and support for implementing inclusive planning, resource management and improved local oversight. Specifically, project funds will help cover a wide range of expenses critical to the function of health facilities, such as medical supplies, facility maintenance and repairs, patient transfers, and community engagement.
“By investing in the health of mothers and children, the government is making a substantial investment in Myanmar’s future, said Abdoulaye Seck, Country Manager of the World Bank in Myanmar. The World Bank is pleased to support Myanmar’s people-centered approach to development by providing more funding to front-line health facilities to deliver better health services for people across the country.”
The US$100 million IDA credit in support of the health sector in Myanmar is part of the World Bank Group’s rapidly growing support program for the country. The World Bank Group, in close coordination with development partners, is beginning work with Myanmar on a new Country Partnership Framework. This Framework will scale up support for Myanmar—building on plans for a US$2 billion multi-year development package announced by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim during his visit to Myanmar in early 2014. The framework will also include programs to help improve agriculture, water, access to energy and education, as well as public financial management, financial inclusion, private sector development, and other key development priorities.
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/10/14/millions-of-mothers-and-children-in-myanmar-to
